


Moonlight

by Paradoxikalli



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, F/F, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-07-22 15:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7444693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paradoxikalli/pseuds/Paradoxikalli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Most people who find a badly injured werewolf in the woods behind their backyard would either leave her to die or put a bullet in her. Most people wouldn't bring her inside, dress her wounds, care for her, and befriend her. Then again, Velvet Scarlatina isn't most people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Separation and Discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by sketchhungry on Tumblr; she draws amazing Crosshares fanart and I got the inspiration for this from her werewolf AU. This is actually a bit of a collaboration because some of the ideas I'm using are specifically hers and I'm going to be working with her to develop this fic. Her art is incredible, so if you haven't already, I highly recommend checking it out.

It was a dark night. The moon hung half-full in the sky, casting a faint silver glow across a small Remnant forest. In a small clearing, there was a woman sitting on a tall rock, eyes fixed straight in front of her. Her dark brown wolf ears swiveled and flicked back and forth, catching sounds from all around. She dismissed them all as irrelevant. She didn’t hear any hunting parties or rival packs, which meant there were no real threats in the area.

“I’m hungry,” complained a man on the ground behind her. The woman gritted her teeth, irritated at hearing this complaint yet again.

“I _know_ you’re hungry, Fox. You don’t have to tell me every thirty seconds,” she retorted. “Yatsu should he here soon. The town’s moderately close. Just be patient.”

“We should’ve gone with him,” Fox said.

“You know damn well that the risk is too great. Sure we can pass as wolf faunus if we hide either our ears or our tails, but a group of us would still raise plenty of red flags. Even a small group of wolf faunus says ‘werewolf pack’ to everyone. We’d be killed.”

Fox snorted and climbed up to plop down beside her. She didn’t look at him, instead keeping her eyes on the trees.

“The world thinks we’re monsters, Fox,” she reminded him. “The faunus are starting to get most of their rights and even some respect, but we still have to live in the shadows. We can’t even live in houses. We’re stuck in the forests and other wild places, moving every few days so rival packs and werewolf hunters are less likely to find us. The world hates and fears us too much for us to have real lives.”

“I know,” Fox muttered. “It’s such bullshit.”

“It is,” the woman agreed. She heard a deep howl and her ears perked up. “Yatsuhashi’s on his way back.”

“I know, Coco. I have ears too,” Fox told her before jumping off the rock. “I’ll let him know where we are.”

Coco watched as he morphed into a large wolf with nails as sharp as claws and dark reddish-brown fur. He tilted his head back to howl a response and Coco smiled slightly, knowing that Yatsuhashi would be back soon with food for them. Her pack was small, consisting of only herself, Fox, and Yatsuhashi, but what they lacked in numbers they made up for in devotion. Most werewolf packs were much larger, but not as close-knit as Coco’s.

In a way, a smaller pack was good. Large packs were actively chased by werewolf hunters, and they had to run and fight all the time. A small pack was less likely to be tracked down by hunting parties, and fewer mouths to feed meant survival was easier. To be honest, Coco felt her pack was ideal, even if it meant she was stuck with two silly boys every day and night.

Fox, back in his humanoid form, managed to grab her ankle and pulled her down from the rock. He stepped back just in time as she hit the ground right where he’d just been standing.

Coco stood, brushed herself off, and glared at him. He gave her a cheeky smirk and she rolled her eyes. Her sharp hearing picked up someone quickly approaching her location and she smiled slightly. A change in the wind confirmed that it was Yatsuhashi, and she could smell that he was bringing a small feast.

“Smells like we’re eating some good food tonight,” Fox noticed.

“It does,” Coco agreed. “An actual meal for a change.”

It didn’t take long for Yatsuhashi to appear in his humanoid form, carrying a large bag.

“It smells like you found quite the feast for us,” Coco told him. He smiled.

“I got lucky. There was a twenty-four-hour restaurant throwing out food that was about to expire. I asked if I could have some and the manager told me to take whatever I wanted,” he explained.

“This’ll be our first good meal in...probably years,” Fox said.

“Then let’s eat,” Coco suggested. Fox and Yatsuhashi nodded agreement and the three of them climbed the rock to its top, which was flat and large enough to let them sit in a comfortable ring around the food as Yatsuhashi pulled it out and laid it across the stone. Coco’s stomach gave a faint growl and she felt her mouth watering as the scents from the food became stronger and she saw how appetizing it all looked.

The three of them had wolfed down just over half of the food when Fox stiffened.

“What’s wrong?” Yatsuhashi asked.

“Listen,” Fox replied. Coco’s ears swiveled to pick up as many sounds as possible and she heard what sounded like paw steps. When she turned away from the food, she caught the scents of at least ten werewolves. Judging by how Yatsuhashi’s body went rigid, he noticed too.

“Another pack,” Coco said. “A big one. They must have smelled our food.”

“We should get out of here,” Fox suggested. “Leave what’s left for them and save ourselves. They’ll kill us over this.”

Coco’s pride took a heavy hit when she realized that there was no way the three of them could survive a fight with a large pack. Fox and Yatsuhashi were looking at her. They always looked to her for final decisions; she was their leader, after all.

“Fox is right,” she said. “We have to run and leave the rest of our food so they won’t need to chase us down.”

“Too late,” Yatsuhashi said, turning to look downwind. Coco heard running paws and growled.

“If we’re lucky, they’ll let us go,” she said. “But we probably won’t be lucky.”

She jumped down from the rock, shifting into her wolf form in midair and landing on all four paws. Her dark brown coat would have blended into the shadows beautifully if not for the unusual orange splotch over her right ear and the right side of her face. That stood out against darkness.

Fox jumped down beside her and Yatsuhashi hit the ground on her other side. Coco and Fox were tall, broad-shouldered, and lean, but Yatsuhashi was almost double Coco’s size. The three of them were all powerful fighters, but so were the rest of the werewolves in the world. They definitely wouldn’t make it out of this fight unscathed.

The pack, as it turned out, was larger than most. Eleven werewolves charged out from one side of the clearing and ten from the opposite trees. Coco snarled and lunged at the line of ten, Fox and Yatsuhashi charging in beside her.

The enemy pack was smart, Werewolves cut Coco, Fox, and Yatsuhashi off from each other. Coco couldn’t figure out where they were and didn’t have time to search. She was no match for this many strong fighters. She was taking heavy damage and knew she’d be killed if she stayed. She had to turn and run, her injuries slowing her and making it easy for the other werewolves to track her. It was hard to breathe but she knew she had to keep running.

When she came to a river, she jumped in and fought her way upstream. Her pursuers would hopefully assume she’d been swept downstream or gone straight across into the heavy brush at that side.

Her energy was draining fast. She swam near the bank of the river, shielded from view by low-growing trees. When she could barely keep her head above the current, she clambered out and didn’t bother shaking off the water. She just ran, soon forced to slow into a fast limp. Then even that turned into slow stumbling.

Coco knew there was no way she’d be able to fight off an attacker now. As her strength faded, her body slipped back to humanoid. She was too weak to stay in her wolf form.

The trail of blood she was leaving would be a problem if the other pack figured out how she’d lost them, so she struggled to think of a way to keep any pursuers at bay.

Her ears picked up the sounds of televisions and voices. There was a neighborhood nearby. Far from ideal, but maybe being close to houses would dissuade the other pack from coming to finish her off.

Coco staggered toward the sounds, stumbling through the forest. Leaves crunched under her feet and twigs snapped when she hit them. She had to lean on trees as she pushed herself to keep walking.

Her injuries were sapping her strength and she felt like she’d pass out from the pain, but she had to get as close to that neighborhood as she could. The other werewolves wouldn’t risk coming to a residential area just to kill her. As long as none of the humans or faunus in the neighborhood realized she was there, Coco was confident she’d be alright.

* * *

 It was just past midnight when Velvet Scarlatina went to sit on her back porch, plopping down in a cushioned chair and leaning back with a heavy sigh. She wasn’t quite tired enough to go to bed, but she hoped the peacefulness of the night would—

One of her bunny ears twitched and she sat upright. Something was stumbling around in the woods behind her backyard. It sounded like an injured animal. The faunus went inside to grab a flashlight, then came back out and stepped off of her back porch, walking into the woods toward the sound.

_It sounds kinda big,_ she thought nervously. _I hope it’s just a deer, not a bear or something..._

She flicked her flashlight on. She didn’t particularly need it, but it made seeing details easier. She heard the crackling leaves grow louder, accompanied by huffs of breath. It sounded like the animal was more heavily injured than she originally thought, which made Velvet even more determined to find and help it. She loved animals and hated to see one hurt.

She spotted a staggering shadow ahead and turned her flashlight toward it, then promptly froze up when she saw that it wasn’t an animal, but a woman with dark brown wolf ears and a matching tail.

_A werewolf? Here?_

The faunus felt terror overwhelm her. She started trembling, struggling to stay calm. She fully expected the werewolf to transform, lunge forward, and kill her.

Then she saw the blood.

The werewolf’s clothes were wet with blood and her face was pale, meaning that the blood had to be her own. The wounds themselves were mostly hidden by her clothes, but Velvet knew they had to be severe. This werewolf wasn’t threatening in the least. She was hurt, barely standing, and afraid.

The werewolf growled at her, the sound coming out exactly like the growl of a large dog despite her current humanoid figure. Her canines glinted in the light of the flashlight, clearly sharp enough to slice through skin without a problem. Her left leg gave out, dropping her down to her knees.

“Stay back,” she snarled through huffs and pants. She looked like a cornered animal, ready to defend herself but unwilling to attack out of aggression. Velvet considered her options.

She could go back to her house and lock the door. The werewolf was in no condition to chase or hurt her, and she probably wouldn’t even survive the night with those injuries. Velvet could easily pretend the encounter never happened.

But she couldn’t do that. She felt deep pity for this werewolf and knew she couldn’t leave her to die. Her decision made, she took a deep breath and stepped forward. The werewolf growled again, fear glittering in her narrowed eyes.

“It’s okay,” Velvet soothed softly. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“I’m not falling for that. Get away from me!”

“You won’t make it through the night. Please...let me help you. I have medical supplies in my house.”

“Leave me alone!”

Velvet’s heart pounded fearfully in her chest as she took another step toward the injured werewolf.

“You’ll die out here. I just want to help.”

“I said leave me alone!” The werewolf staggered to her feet and met Velvet’s eyes fiercely. Then she fell to her knees again, squeezing her eyes shut in pain. Velvet walked a little closer.

“I don’t want to let you die.”

“Go away!” the werewolf snarled, glaring at her. Then she hunched over and gave a growl that faded into a whimper. She dropped her hands to the ground and leaned on them, shaking, before she collapsed limply to the ground. Her body was heaving with labored breaths and her eyes were closed. Velvet hurried to kneel beside her, checking her pulse.

_I have to get her inside._

Velvet turned off her flashlight and tucked it into the waistband of her jeans, then lifted the unconscious werewolf. She carried her into her house and to the guest bedroom, where she lay her on the bed. The faunus retrieved her medical supplies from the kitchen and came back to the guest room, leaving her flashlight on the kitchen counter. She took a pair of scissors from the medical box and cut the werewolf’s outer clothes open so she could inspect her injuries. There were deep gashes in her right side and both arms, plus bite marks on her right shoulder and left leg.

_She needs a hospital,_ Velvet thought, staring at the wounds slashing across the werewolf’s body. _But hospitals won’t treat werewolves. I’ll just have to do my best to help her myself._

Velvet let out a slow breath and cleaned the injuries as best she could. She found her emergency surgical thread and started stitching the wounds shut, her hands shaking.

_What if she wakes up while I’m doing this and attacks me? What if she wakes up when I’m asleep and comes into my room to kill me? Am I really doing the right thing by saving her? This might be too little too late anyhow...I don’t know if I can save her life or not._

Fortunately, the werewolf remained unconscious. Velvet carefully rolled her onto her stomach and cut the back of her clothes open as well. There were bloody tracks crisscrossing her back so the faunus cleaned those as well and stitched them closed.

Velvet rolled the werewolf onto her back again and carefully pulled her outer clothes away, putting them in the bedroom’s trashcan. She returned to the bed and put a hand to the werewolf’s forehead, then her cheeks.

_She feels a little feverish…I’ll leave her like this and check on her when I get up. I’ll put a bottle of water on the nightstand too, in case she’s thirsty whenever she wakes up._

The faunus yawned and put all her medical supplies away, setting the scissors she’d used to cut away the werewolf’s clothes and the needle she’d used to stitch her wounds shut by the sink so she’d remember to clean them in the morning. She remembered to set a bottle of water on the nightstand in the guest room, then grabbed a bathrobe from her own bedroom and stripped off her bloodstained clothes. She threw them away and went to turn on the warm water in her shower so she could wash the werewolf’s blood from her skin.

_I hope she survives and doesn’t kill me. I really do._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Tumblr is paradoxikalli. You can read fics I put there but not here, ask me questions, talk, send a prompt or request, and other such things.


	2. Suspicion and Kindness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For once I can't think of anything to say here. ^_^; I s'pose it's straight to the story!

Coco became aware of her body slowly. She was in pain, so she knew she wasn’t dead. She was lying on something soft too, which was confusing. Why would she be on something soft? It made her a little uneasy. Then a hand pressed lightly against her forehead and the werewolf growled, all wonderings halted in favor of self-defense.

Her eyes snapped open as she grabbed someone’s wrist with a harsh grip. The person yelped and Coco forced her eyes to focus. A faunus with rabbit ears was staring down at her with wide, fearful eyes. She was the same faunus Coco vaguely remembered seeing in the woods right before she passed out.

“What are you doing?” Coco asked threateningly, narrowing her eyes into a sharp glare. The faunus gulped, clearly afraid.

“Y-you have a fever and I’m j-just checking to see if it’s any worse th-than it was last night. I b-brought you to the guest room in my house a-and stitched up all your injuries. I t-told you last night, I want t-to help you. I d-don’t want you to die,” she replied with a fearful stutter. Coco let go of her wrist but didn’t lighten her glare. The faunus quickly pulled her hand back.

“I’m a werewolf, you know.”

“I know,” the faunus said. She seemed to be getting a little courage and boldness now that the werewolf wasn’t gripping her wrist.

“Then why are you taking care of me?”

“You’re a person,” the faunus told her. “I won’t pretend I’m not scared of you, but I don’t want to let you die.”

Coco sighed, feeling her eyes lighten with resignation to this situation. She wasn’t sure if this faunus really had kindhearted intentions, but what choice did she have other than to accept her presence until her strength returned?

“Why were you out there like that anyway? I thought werewolves live in packs, but you were alone. And you came so close to my house...isn’t that a risk for you? You were hurt too. What happened to you?” the faunus asked. Coco considered and decided that it wouldn’t hurt to share that information.

“I did have a pack. There were only three of us. We were attacked by a huge pack...I got separated from Fox and Yatsu, and I was too hurt to go back and look for them. I came so close to your house hoping the enemy werewolves wouldn’t risk following me all the way to the edge of a neighborhood to kill me,” she explained.

“I’m sorry,” the faunus said softly. “I can’t even imagine going through all that...”

There was a pause.

“I’m Velvet, by the way,” the faunus introduced herself. “Velvet Scarlatina.”

“Coco Adel,” Coco replied.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Velvet said with a smile. “Do you need anything? Water, food, a softer pillow...?”

“Water, I guess,” Coco told her, forcing herself to sit up. Velvet was quick to stack a few pillows behind her so she could lean back against them, which surprised her. “Why do you care about me? Why didn’t you leave me to die in the woods?”

“I just don’t like seeing anyone in pain.” Velvet took the lid off of a bottle of water and held it out. Coco took it, downing half of it in just a few seconds. She was still wary of this faunus, but she knew she was in no condition to be aggressive. “There’s a bathroom across the hall, but don’t get in the shower until I take out your stitches.”

“Stitches?” Coco frowned.

“Mmhm. I’m going to go shopping today and get you some clothes too. If you want to listen to music or something, there’s a radio on the nightstand to your right. I’ll probably be out all day so I left some eggs and toast there for your breakfast, which I hope will keep you full enough to be comfortable until dinner. Speaking of dinner, what do you want to have?”

“Wait, wait. Slow down,” Coco said. “You’re really doing all of that for me?”

“Of course. I don’t want you to be miserable,” Velvet replied. “I put a phone on the nightstand too, and I wrote down my cell phone number in case you want anything while I’m out.”

Coco couldn’t do anything but stare and attempt to process that.

“Are you okay?” Velvet asked. Coco cleared her throat and nodded.

“Just...it seems to good to be true that you’d treat me like this.”

“Well it’s not, because I’m being honest. I get attached to people easily sometimes, and this is one of those times. I care about you now. I know you don’t care about me and I don’t expect you to, but I want to help you,” Velvet said with a smile. “I’m gonna be late to my shoot if I stay here much longer so I’d better go, but my number’s on the nightstand. Call me if you need anything, okay? Think about dinner too, and call me if you decide what you want. I’ll see you when I get back.”

The faunus walked out, leaving Coco feeling a bit dazed. The werewolf finished her bottle of water and sighed, looking to her right. Sure enough, there was a nightstand that had a radio, a plate of scrambled eggs and toast, a phone, and a Post-It note with a phone number written on it. She shifted to turn on the radio, flipping through stations until she found one she liked, and set her empty bottle on the nightstand before picking up the plate of food. Then she lay back against the pillows again with a sigh, confused and conflicted about her current situation.

_Does she really care about me, or is she trying to trick me? If she does care...why? Everyone thinks werewolves are monsters...why doesn’t she? I don’t know what to think or feel about this. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what happens._

 

* * *

 

When Velvet came home, it took several trips for her to bring all of her groceries and the clothes she’d bought for Coco into her house. Once the groceries were all put away and the bags of clothes were heaped in the living room, the faunus hesitantly walked to the guest room and gave the closed door a few gentle knocks.

“Coco? Can I come in?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Velvet let out a slow breath and opened the door. Coco was lying back against her pillows with her head turned to stare out the window, her ears alert.

“You never told me what you want to eat.”

“Sometimes the only meal I could find was straight out of a garbage can,” Coco said, meeting Velvet’s eyes. “I’ll eat whatever you have.”

“Alright,” Velvet agreed. “Do you want anything to do while I make dinner then? I can give you a book to read, or even my laptop if you promise to be careful with it.”

“I’m fine.”

Velvet gave a nod of acknowledgement and backed out of the room, closing the door and going to the kitchen. She tapped her fingers indecisively against the countertop, then went about making a dish of maple-glazed salmon with a fruit salad on the side. She considered baking a dessert but decided against it. When the meal was ready to be served, she went back to the guest room and opened the door.

“Dinner’s ready,” she announced. “Do you want to eat at the table or should I bring yours in here?”

“Table,” Coco said stiffly. She sat up all the way and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Velvet’s sharp hearing picked up the werewolf’s deep breaths.

Coco stood and immediately started to collapse. She quickly caught herself though, and started walking with slow, deliberate steps. Velvet reached out to help her once the werewolf walked through the doorway but Coco growled, her ears going back aggressively. Velvet quickly backed away and the werewolf’s ears came up again. She stopped growling and gave Velvet a wary glare, so the faunus held up both hands and stepped back again to be as nonthreatening as possible.

“I’m gonna get you one of my shirts since you’re, uh...well...y’know,” Velvet told her half-naked houseguest, going to her bedroom to dig in her dresser drawers for an oversized T-shirt. When she found one that was practically a knee-length dress for her, she came back to Coco and held it out. The werewolf took it with a muttered thanks and pulled it over her head, wincing with the strain.

“It’s not very comfortable,” the werewolf noticed, looking over her shoulder at the back of the shirt, which went down to just below her hips. “Goes over my tail.”

“Well…it’s mine, and I don’t have a tail. I bought you some clothes, but I’d rather not wear them extensively until I wash them,” Velvet said. “I’ll put them in your room after dinner so you can try them on to see what fits and what you like.”

“Okay,” Coco replied. She took a step and her leg buckled. Velvet lunged forward to catch her only to swiftly stagger backward when the werewolf snarled at her. Coco hit the ground on her hands and knees while Velvet nervously kept her distance.

“Coco, I’m not gonna hurt you,” she promised. “Just...please, let me help you.”

“I don’t need your help,” Coco retorted sharply, pushing herself to her feet. Velvet led her to the dining room table, keeping her pace slow. Coco slumped down in one of the chairs with a tired huff.

“Okay, I’ll get the plates,” Velvet said, going to the kitchen and putting the salmon on plates and the fruit in bowls. She brought out both plates of salmon first to set them on the table, then went back for the bowls of fruit. “What do you want to drink?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Coco told her. Velvet took a carton of milk from the fridge and filled two glasses, then returned to set one down in front of Coco and the other by her own food.

“Coco, I know you don’t trust me,” Velvet began softly, sitting across the table from the werewolf. “But I’m not going to hurt you, okay? I want to help you. If I try to touch you, it’s not so I can cause you pain. I just want to make things easier for you so you can heal.”

“It’s hard for me to believe that,” Coco told her. “The only thing humans and faunus really see eye-to-eye on is the necessity of exterminating werewolves. You saved my life, so I _want_ to trust you, but...it’s hard for me to believe you’re so kindhearted that you can look past what I am.”

Velvet sighed slightly and started on her dinner. When she looked up, she saw that Coco was eating hers as well.

“Do you like it?” the faunus asked. Coco met her eyes.

“Yeah. It’s great,” she replied with a stiff smile, her overall expression still tense. Velvet’s posture slumped slightly. “What?”

“I just...Coco, I really don’t want you to be uncomfortable around me, which I know you are. I’m not going to do anything bad to you, and I wish you’d believe me when I say that. I don’t want you to hate me. I want you to be okay with me and...I want you to...t-to...never mind.” Velvet blushed violently and stared at her dinner. Coco clearly didn’t care enough to press her about it, which she was grateful for.

The rest of dinner was silent, and when she and Coco were both done, Velvet took the dishes to the kitchen. There were no large chunks of food on them so she put them right in the dishwasher and went back to the table. Coco was standing but she looked weak. Velvet went to her and reached out to hold the crook of her elbow for support. Coco’s ears went back and she growled, eyes flashing threateningly, but this time Velvet refused to back down.

There was a tense standoff as Velvet’s had hovered a few inches from Coco’s arm. She calmly met the werewolf’s eyes, keeping her breathing even as she waited. Coco’s steady growl trailed off but her ears stayed back. Velvet took a deep breath and reached out until her fingers brushed her arm.

The reaction was instant: Coco snarled and harshly smacked her away. Velvet winced at the sharp pain shooting through her hand and wrist. Coco was strong and hadn’t held back much, if at all, with that hit. Velvet stretched out her hand again, slower this time. Coco gave a warning growl and the faunus paused.

“It’s okay, Coco,” she soothed. “I won’t hurt you.”

The werewolf stopped growling and narrowed her eyes. Velvet kept steady eye contact.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” she repeated. “You can trust me. I promise.”

Coco’s eyes were indecisive. Her ears came up and Velvet rested her hand on her arm, her fingers gently curling around her elbow. Coco’s ears pressed back again and she growled, but the sound was softer than before.

“Shh…it’s okay,” Velvet told her, not moving her hand away. “It’s okay.”

Coco’s growl faded into nothing and her ears flicked up. Her tense body relaxed and her eyes lightened slightly. Velvet smiled.

“There you go. See? I’m not hurting you. You don’t have to be scared of me.”

Coco gave a slight sigh and hesitantly shifted to be a little closer. Velvet smiled reassuringly and started to walk, making sure to stay slow. Coco didn’t try to push her away. She stumbled and Velvet quickly wrapped her arm around her waist, bearing some of her weight and keeping her on her feet.

Coco’s ears went back again, but only for a moment. Velvet kept her arm around her waist until Coco was sitting on her bed. Velvet smiled, stepping back and meeting her eyes.

“Not so bad, huh?” she asked. A small smile flickered across Coco’s face.

“You’re not like the rest of them. You really don’t want to hurt me. I knew telling you to stay away probably wouldn’t work, but you didn’t leave me alone when I was growling at you even though that worked before. You just kept trying, and you really did just want to help me,” she noticed. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Velvet replied with a smile. “I’m gonna bring in the clothes I got for you and you can try them on whenever you feel up to it. Tomorrow I’ll have you sit on the couch so I can change the bedding in here. It’s a little bloody, after all.”

“Alright,” Coco agreed. “I think I’m gonna sleep once you get all the clothes in here…I’m a little tired.”

“Okay,” Velvet said. “You can keep my shirt for the night, if you want.”

“Thanks,” Coco told her. Velvet just smiled and walked out. Her hand and wrist were still hurting from when Coco hit her so she found a bandage roll and wrapped the area, then started carrying the bags in.

“I didn’t know what to get so I got a lot of stuff,” she said. Coco seemed a little distracted by her bandage.

“I really hurt you, huh?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Velvet admitted. “I’m sure it’s nothing serious though—I’ll probably be fine by tomorrow.”

“Sorry,” Coco apologized. “It’s just…I’ve never been treated with kindness or respect by anyone except my pack, and you’re giving me both. It’s…strange.”

“I understand,” Velvet said. “I’ve been abused by humans for so many years that I’m always suspicious of them now. I have human friends, but it took a while for me to really trust them. I understand how you’re feeling right now. I know it’ll be hard for you to trust me, but even if you never do, I want to help you. It’s dangerous when the world hates werewolves, but I’m willing to risk it.”

“You’re too nice for your own good, you know,” Coco told her. “Your big heart’s gonna get you killed someday.”

“Probably,” Velvet agreed. “But if it does, at least I’ll know I’ve helped people, even if helping the wrong person means the end for me.”

“I hope that wrong person doesn’t end up being me,” Coco said.

“Me too,” Velvet replied. “I’m gonna go ahead and bring in all the clothes I got you now so you can get some sleep.”

“Alright.” Coco stretched out on the bed with a yawn. “See you in the morning.”

“Yeah,” Velvet said with a smile. “Goodnight, Coco. I’ll see you then.”


	3. Chocolate and Cake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...I got caught up in the newest app craze. At least that means I'll be getting more exercise! If you don't know what app I'm talking about, feel fortunate and remain ignorant or you might end up addicted too.

It was hard to do, but Coco found herself accepting and even beginning to trust Velvet. The faunus fussed over her extensively, always checking on her and tending to her every need. Velvet was always kind to her, even when Coco was a little aggressive with her. The faunus had a sweet demeanor almost constantly, and the few times that slipped were when she was upset and the shift was understandable. She was patient, caring, and comforting. Whenever Coco was plagued by negative thoughts, Velvet always knew and came to make her feel better. She never hesitated to help the werewolf with anything she needed or wanted (unless it involved Coco doing something the faunus deemed too risky because of her injuries and weakened state) and even went out of her way to do so.

It really shouldn’t have been a shock that Velvet bought her a present, but Coco was still surprised when she awoke on her fourth day in the house to the sight of a large wrapped box at the foot of her bed. Curious, she crawled to it and unwrapped it to see that it was a massive box of assorted chocolates. There was a note on top of it:

_You probably didn’t think I noticed, but I’ve caught you getting up (even though you should be resting) and sneaking into the kitchen to get something chocolate. Chocolate milk, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate ice cream, candy with chocolate in it, spoonfulls of Nutella, and other such things. It’s appropriate that you’d be a chocoholic, considering your name and all. Anyhow, I’m hoping this will keep you from raiding the kitchen for chocolate things for a while. Enjoy! -Velvet_

Coco’s face reddened slightly at the fact that Velvet had caught her in the act, but she couldn’t fight a smile at the thoughtful gift. She opened the box, popped one of the candies in her mouth, closed the box again, and stood, still only half awake as she walked out to the kitchen for breakfast. As soon as she came into sight of the uncovered kitchen window, she winced and shielded her eyes, stumbling slightly. She always kept the curtains closed in her room, so the sudden flood of bright light was an almost painful shock.

_Why is it so bright outside?_

“Late start, huh?” Velvet asked.

“Late start?” Coco repeated, hesitantly lowering her hand so she could see. The faunus was looking at her, an apple with a bite taken out of it in one hand.

“Coco, it’s one in the afternoon.”

“Oh.”

“Mmhm. Will the box I got you satisfy your addiction or should I lock up all the chocolatey foods I have?” Velvet asked playfully with a smile, a teasing sparkle in her eyes.

“I think it’ll work,” Coco assured her, blushing.

“Good! Let me know when you need another box.”

“You’re assuming I’ll eat them all before I leave,” Coco noticed.

Velvet suddenly looked rather bashful. She awkwardly ducked her head and shifted her weight nervously.

“W-well...I, uh...I’m pretty confident that you will,” she replied. Coco frowned.

“You okay?”

“Yeah!” Velvet jerked her head up. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Coco crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

“You sure about that, Velvet?” she asked, her tone full of disbelief.

“Y-y’know, I need to get in the shower. Don’t bother me, okay?” Velvet didn’t even give Coco time to argue before shooting back to her bedroom and slamming the door. Coco sighed and poured herself a bowl of cereal, also taking a yogurt from the fridge and grabbing a spoon before going to set her food on the coffee table in the living room. She turned on the TV and sat on the couch, wondering why her question had made Velvet disappear with a hasty excuse.

The word “werewolf” caught her attention and she looked at the TV. It was a news station and there was a man who was labeled “Werewolf Expert” via a caption on the screen. He was smiling and it looked like the newscaster had just introduced him.

“Wolfers—” he began.

Coco growled at the extremely offensive nickname people had given to werewolves, her ears going back with anger at hearing it said, especially on television.

“—are mindless, senseless creatures of bloodlust and violence that will kill any human or faunus on sight. They’re demons at heart and monsters to the core. If you see a wolfer, don’t approach it, don’t trust it, and don’t hesitate to kill it. When hiking in the wilderness, remember to bring a firearm and shoot any wolfers you see. If you’re going camping, go with several people so you can watch the campsite in shifts, and make sure everyone’s armed. Wolfers extremely dangerous and bloodthirsty savages. They aren’t even people; they’re beasts. If you compare a wolfer to a faunus, no faunus can even begin to be considered as much of an animal as any wolfer. Do your part to contribute to society and kill as many wolfers as you can; they need to be wiped out. They—”

The television clicked off and Velvet sat on the couch beside her, putting the remote on the coffee table. Coco looked at her to find the faunus wrapped in a bathrobe with water still streaking down her skin.

“I heard part of what he was saying, so I came out for a minute to check on you,” the faunus said softly. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“So you crushed your yogurt for fun?”

Coco looked down to see that her fist was clenched so tightly around her yogurt cup that its contents had burst through the lid. She set it down.

“Sorry. I’ll clean it up.”

“You’re still mad,” Velvet said.

“I’m not mad.”

“Ears, Coco. Your ears are back.”

Coco sighed and forced them to come up. Velvet shifted to be a little closer.

“Don’t let them get to you. They’re wrong. Werewolves aren’t anything like he was saying, and you’re proof of that. When I found you in the woods, you weren’t aggressive with me. You were just defensive and scared. You didn’t trust me, but you didn’t want to kill me. You only would have attacked me if I was a threat to you. I brought you inside because I could tell you’re not at all like what everyone says werewolves are. You’re more of a person than that man will ever be. Don’t let them get to you, Coco. They’re wrong.”

Coco smiled slightly at the kindness in those words, in the tone they were said in, and in Velvet’s eyes. The faunus smiled back and stood.

“I’m gonna go back to the shower now. If you turn on the TV again, put it on an entertainment channel instead of a news one.”

“Will do. Thanks, Velvet,” Coco said.

“Anytime,” Velvet replied, walking out again. Coco went to the kitchen and grabbed a roll of paper towels to clean up the mess from her yogurt explosion, silently thanking the world for the stroke of luck she’d had to have been found that night in the forest by Velvet Scarlatina, the most extreme personification of kindness and open-mindedness to ever exist.

_Sure there were good times before that night, but everything had an undertone of constant danger. It’s different with her. It’s safe and comforting. It’s not an exaggeration at all to say she’s the best thing to ever happen to me. In fact, I think that’s the absolute truth._

* * *

It was almost five o’clock and Velvet was attempting to read a book. Due to an increasingly impatient werewolf, her attempt involved going back to reread and attempt to process information several times. Finally, she jerked her head up and glared at Coco.

“You don’t have to keep bothering me about it!” she scolded. “I know you want it. I _know that,_ Coco! But I’m not gonna drop everything and rush to make it! Just be patient, okay? Let me finish this chapter.”

“How many pages do you have left?” Coco asked. Velvet sighed and returned to her book, not answering the question. Coco, sitting on the couch beside her, stayed silent, but the faunus could sense how hard she was attempting to restrain herself. She turned the page and jumped when Coco leaned over to look.

“What?” Velvet asked.

“Just wanted to see if the end of the chapter’s soon or not,” Coco told her. Velvet sighed and kept reading, fully aware of the fact that Coco was looking over her shoulder the whole time.

_I never thought she’d get this excited and impatient over such a simple thing..._

When Velvet finished the chapter and closed her book, Coco sat up straight and looked at her hopefully.

“Yes, Coco. I’ll go make it now,” she said. “I should probably teach you how though, so you won’t be solely dependent on me for food that involves preparation. With something you don’t want so much though; I don’t want the kitchen to be crowded by your excitement.”

When Velvet stood and walked into the kitchen, she felt Coco so close behind her that the werewolf nearly tripped over her several times. Velvet rolled her eyes and took the box of chocolate lava cake mix out of the cabinet. Then she turned and shooed Coco away so she’d have space to bake.

Five minutes into the process, she turned to glare at Coco, who was trying to slowly sneak up to the bowl.

“Coco. If you don’t leave me alone, I’ll throw it all away. Got it?”

Coco gave an exaggerated sight and walked out.

 _It’s cute that she’s so excited about this._ Velvet thought with a smile. _I hope she likes it._

When the cake was ready to eat, Velvet walked out of the kitchen to see Coco sitting on the couch. It took all of two seconds for the werewolf to be right in front of her.

“Is it done?” she asked.

“It’s done,” Velvet confirmed. Movement caught her eye from behind Coco, so she curiously stepped to the side a bit to look around the werewolf. When she saw what the movement was, the faunus couldn’t fight a smile that swiftly evolved into a fit of giggles.

“What’s so funny?” Coco asked.

“Your tail,” Velvet managed to say, grinning and meeting her eyes. “You’re wagging your tail.”

Coco’s face turned bright red and Velvet laughed.

“Stupid tail,” the werewolf muttered. The offending appendage fell still and Velvet pouted at Coco. “What?”

“I thought it was cute,” she admitted. Her friend’s blush deepened, making Velvet smile again. 

“What’s the smile for now?” 

“You’re cute when you’re embarrassed too.”

“Okay, now you’re just trying to make me blush,” Coco accused. It looked like she was trying to glare, but her face was too red to allow such an expression.

“I’m just stating the facts,” Velvet replied with a sweet smile. Coco huffed at her and she laughed.

“Stop laughing!” Coco protested.

“If I do, will you wag your tail again?”

“I didn’t even know I was doing it the first time! I can’t do it on command, okay? It only happens when I don’t do it on purpose.”

“I feel like you’re issuing me a challenge...” Velvet said.

“I’m not! Don’t take it as one!” Coco ordered.

“Too late!” Velvet told her cheerfully. Coco groaned.

“Can I have my cake or what?”

“Sure, Coco. But you’re sharing it with me, okay?”

Coco nodded and Velvet smiled, going to get two plates and forks. She took two pieces and Coco took four. The faunus was nervous when they sat down to eat, but judging by the way Coco’s eyes lit up when she took a bite, the cake wasn’t bad.

“Do you like it?” Velvet asked once the werewolf swallowed.

“It’s amazing,” Coco assured her with a bright smile. Velvet gave a slight sigh of relief, smiling and taking a bite from her own plate. She was pleased to realize that Coco wasn’t exaggerating, which was a relief, but seeing how happy the werewolf was with the dessert was much better than the cake itself.


	4. Showers and a Full Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh...I know updates for all of my stories have been slow to say the least, but writer's block is being a bitch and so is life. I'm still working, just...slower. Anyhow, my Tumblr is paradoxikalli and I'm always open to asks and messages.

Coco was sitting on the couch with the TV on when Velvet walked in the front door, a few plastic bags hanging from her wrists. The faunus set the bags on the kitchen counter and began putting groceries away.

“Need some help?” Coco asked, walking over to her.

“No, I only bought a couple things,” Velvet replied. “But thanks for the offer!” She continued to put everything away and Coco leaned on the counter.

“What did you buy?”

“Not much...oh, but I did get you something!” Velvet told her, meeting her eyes with a bright smile. “For when you’re healed up enough to get in the shower.”

Coco raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“Now uh...I figured you’d, umm...no offense, but...I’m guessing you’ll smell like wet dog once your fur gets wet...” Velvet took a bottle of something from a bag and handed it to Coco. The werewolf read the label and scowled at her friend, who looked like she was trying very hard to keep from laughing.

“This is dog shampoo,” Coco said flatly.

“Well yeah, but it smells really good!”

“Dog. Shampoo,” Coco repeated. “I’m a were _wolf_ , Velvet.”

“Wolf, dog...close enough! It’s supposed to make fur really soft too, so...I think it’ll work!” Velvet replied cheerfully.

Coco heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes.

“Oh fine,” she gave in. Velvet grinned at her.

“Now flip the cap open and smell it!” she urged. Coco obliged and her eyes widened at the magnolia and pine fragrance. “Like it?” Velvet asked.

“It’s amazing,” Coco admitted. “Was it expensive?”

“Not really, especially since you don’t have a lot of fur to use it on. It was a good buy.”

“Even if I somehow manage to use it twice a day, you’ll still have a lot left when I leave,” Coco pointed out.

“I’m gonna get something to eat,” Velvet said suddenly, taking the bottle of dog shampoo. “Do you want anything?”

“I’m good. I’m just gonna go keep reading that book you gave me.”

“Alright,” Velvet said with a smile. Coco smiled in return, then went to lie on her back on her bed, grabbing her book from the nightstand and flipping to the bookmarked page. 

She’d gotten through almost four chapters when Velvet walked into her room, making her look up.

“I need to check your stitches. Clothes off,” the faunus ordered. Coco decided to tease her a bit so she marked her page, set her book on the nightstand, stood, and walked over to stand in front of her.

“Check my stitches, huh? Sure you don’t mean check me out?” she asked with a smirk. Velvet scowled, blushing slightly, and stepped to be beside her. Then she whacked the werewolf on the back of the head. “Ow! What was that for?”

“Don’t say things like that! It’s inappropriate.”

“And it isn’t inappropriate for you to be nursing a werewolf back to health in your house?”

“Just take off your outer clothes,” Velvet said with a huff.

“Alright, alright...or would you rather me take off all of them?”

Velvet raised a hand to smack her again so Coco yelped and ducked her head down, covering the back of it to be safe.

“Sorry! Sorry, won’t do it again!” she promised, watching Velvet from the corner of eye. When she saw the faunus lower her hand, she stood up straight and rubbed the back of her head, which was still sore.

“Now behave and lie down,” Velvet ordered. Coco sighed and took off all of her outer clothes. She had to use every ounce of mental strength she had to not offer several comments that would each earn her another slap as she obediently went to lie down on her bed.

Velvet stood beside her and gave her a warning glare, then started checking the lines of stitches stretching over her body. When she was satisfied, Velvet rolled Coco onto her stomach to inspect the stitches on her back before stepping away from the bed.

“Well?” Coco asked, sitting up and looking at her.

“I actually think you’re safe to get in the shower now,” Velvet decided, smiling at her. “You’re healing pretty fast. The risk of infection should be minimal.”

Coco felt a nauseating mix of nervousness, shame, and embarrassment wash over her. She forced a smile to pretend she was okay, but she felt her ears press back with the slew of negative emotions. She tried to catch herself, to make them come back up before Velvet noticed and asked questions, but it was too late; the faunus was already looking at her with a concerned frown.

“Coco, what’s wrong?” she asked quietly.

“N-nothing. I, uh...nothing. I’m fine,” Coco lied. Her ears stubbornly stayed down.

“No you’re not,” Velvet insisted gently. “Come on, you can tell me...what’s going on?”

“I just...umm...you’ll think I’m an idiot, but...Velvet, I’ve never been in a place like this before. Whenever I went to a town, I usually hung around the edges, dug through Dumpsters and such for food, and ran once I found something to eat. I’ve never...y’know...”

“Oh. You don’t know how a shower works, do you?” Velvet guessed. Coco blushed and averted her eyes, her ears pressed back as far as they could go with the humiliation.

“Yeah. Dumb, right?”

“No, Coco. It’s not dumb,” Velvet assured her. Coco hesitantly looked up and Velvet smiled reassuringly. “I lived in a cramped garden shed with my family until I was twelve years old. I didn’t know how anything worked either. Showers, stoves, microwaves, washing machines...I couldn’t work any of them at first.”

“Really?” Coco asked, a little less embarrassed now. Velvet nodded, smiling.

“I had to learn. And you’ve picked up some things very fast, like the TV, the microwave, and the water heater. You even figured out the radio almost as soon as you woke up. It took me at least twice as long to do all that. Don’t be ashamed of needing to learn. I’m not gonna think down on you for anything, especially something like that. If you need help, just ask. C’mon, I’ll show you what to do. The shampoo for your ears and tail is already in there, and you can use my shampoo for your hair. I have liquid soap, so use that too.”

Coco’s ears came up as she stood and followed Velvet to the bathroom, the faunus still spouting information on what to do, and a warning to not be in there longer than forty minutes or the hot water heater would need to be reset, and an explanation of which colors of towels and washcloths she could use...

Coco’s current situation of living with Velvet was already turning out to be chalk full of learning and luxury.

* * *

 Velvet had just finished setting dinner on the table when she heard the shower turn off. Footsteps approached and she turned to look at Coco, who was wrapped in a fluffy purple bathrobe.

“So how was it?” Velvet asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I feel...really, really clean. I’ve never felt like this before. It was warm in there too...I only ever had the cold water from lakes, rain, and rivers.”

“So you liked it?”

Coco nodded, smiling.

“And thanks for getting a bathrobe with a hole for my tail; it’s really uncomfortable when it’s covered, although I’d never complain if I’m going into a town.”

“So the robe fits okay?”

“It fits fine.”

“Good!” Velvet walked over and looked around her to see that her tail was wagging.

“Velvet, stop that!” Coco complained, turning so the faunus couldn’t see anymore.

“Fine…dinner’s on the table anyhow.”

“Alright,” Coco acknowledged. The two of them sat down to eat, and there was silence for a few minutes. “It’s a full moon tonight,” Coco announced. “Do you know what’ll happen to me?”

“No,” Velvet admitted.

“From sunset to sunrise, I’ll be stuck in wolf form. I don’t go crazy or anything, so don’t worry. I still have complete control over myself that way, but I can’t change back until sunrise. It’s dangerous. Werewolf hunters celebrate it as their chance to slaughter us because it’s so much easier for them. It’s easier to distinguish which tracks are ours and we can’t try to hide as faunus. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Full Moon Festival, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well the reason for it is how much easier it is to track and therefore kill werewolves. They take a deadly night and turn it into a massive celebration with fireworks, food, floats, games, prizes, music...all because it’s easier to kill us. They put on a show to make all the humans and faunus happy while we werewolves run for our lives,” Coco explained bitterly.

Velvet was appalled by that. Taking something so gruesome and creating a fun celebration for it...

“That’s horrible,” she said softly. Coco nodded and returned to her dinner.

Once Velvet had put all of the dishes in the dishwasher, she had a thought and went to the living room, where Coco was sitting on the couch.

“Will the stitches hold up in your wolf form?” the faunus asked worriedly. “They need to stay in longer.”

“I guess we’ll see,” Coco replied with a clearly forced smile. Velvet nodded acceptance and looked outside.

_It won’t be long before the sun sets...I’d better make sure I lock all the doors and close all the curtains._

Once she’d checked several times and found every window completely shielded and every door locked with all the mechanisms they each had, Velvet came to sit on the couch beside Coco, who was blankly staring at her lap.

“You okay?” she asked softly.

“Yeah. It’s just...tonight’s when the werewolf hunters are most active. I’ve always stayed as far from people as possible during full moons, but now...” Coco trailed off. She was shaking.

“I locked all the doors and closed all the curtains,” Velvet informed her. “Make no comments, but why don’t you sleep with me in my room tonight? I can tell you’re terrified about this.”

Coco looked up at her, clearly caught off-guard.

“Sounds fine to me,” the werewolf agreed. Velvet could tell she was dying to give a flirtatious or sexual remark, but all she actually did was ask a question: “Bed or floor?”

“Huh?” Velvet frowned, confused.

“Do you want me to sleep on the bed or on the floor?”

“Uh, you...um...”

“I’ve slept in much worse places than a floor,” Coco assured her. Velvet hesitated.

“Depending on how big you are in your wolf form, you can sleep on the bed. As long as you’re not under the sheets. That would be a little weird,” she said.

“Alright,” Coco agreed. “When I change, don’t panic. I’ll still be me, just...as a wolf. I won’t be able to talk but I’ll still understand what you say, and I’ll still be in full control of myself.”

“That’s good,” Velvet acknowledged, smiling. It looked like Coco was trying to smile back, but it wasn’t working. “Why don’t you tell me about your packmates to get your mind off of it?” the faunus suggested. Coco looked surprised but nodded.

“I’ll start with Yatsu. Yatsuhashi Daichi. He’s...very tall, to say the least. He’s massive. His wolf form is almost twice the size of mine. He’s extremely protective, always looking out for Fox and me. Even though I have to admit he could probably beat me in a fight, he was always loyal to me. I was the leader of our pack, and he listened to everything I said with no complaints whatsoever. He’s was strong in body, heart, mind, and soul. Never falters, never doubts. Always stays steady. He had my back—and Fox’s too—no matter what.”

“He sounds like a good friend,” Velvet noticed. Coco smiled sadly.

“Yes. Yes he was.”

“There were only two, right? Two people in your pack besides you?”

Coco nodded.

“So who was the other one?”

“That would be Fox Alistair. He was...I jokingly call him an asshole, because he kind of is, but...he was a good packmate and a great friend. Drove me crazy all the time. Kinda like a little brother, but ultimately he respected and obeyed me. He gave me hell about everything, but...I could always count on him to...to, y’know...be there whenever I needed him. I...he...” Coco trailed off.

“Coco...” Velvet said softly as she saw the tears restrained in the werewolf’s eyes. “You’re crying.”

Coco shook her head and roughly rubbed her eyes.

“No I’m not,” she replied.

“You are. It’s okay...you can cry,” Velvet assured her. “I won’t laugh or think any less of you.”

“It’s just...I miss them. I don’t even know if they made it out of the fight alive that night,” Coco admitted, her expression full of pain.

“Do you want a hug?” Velvet offered after a few seconds.

“No. I’m a werewolf. I don’t do hugs.”

“Okay,” Velvet agreed, standing and walking a couple steps away from Coco. A smile spread across the faunus’s face as she stopped. “Psych!”

Before Coco could respond, Velvet whipped around with a grin and tackled her to the back of the couch.

Coco gave a slight squeal and tried to struggle free but Velvet laughed, refusing to let go, and wrestled the werewolf to the floor. Furniture was displaced in the process, but the faunus didn’t care. She just pressed Coco into the floor and wrapped both arms tightly around her waist, snuggling into her body.

“You’re in my house now, Coco,” she declared firmly, smiling. “And I _do_ hug, so deal with it.”

“Fine. Just because I don’t want to hurt you by pushing you off,” Coco gave in, holding Velvet closer.

“Uh-huh, that’s exactly why. Admit it! You like this,” the faunus replied. Coco groaned.

“Fine. It’s nice. Happy?”

“Very.”

“Uh...you can get up now.”

“Nope,” Velvet refused. “You’ve probably never been cuddled before, and you have to learn.”

“You’re so ridiculous,” Coco sighed.

“Yup. But you love it.”

Coco didn’t respond, so Velvet looked up to see that the werewolf was smiling. As soon as she saw Velvet watching her though, she cleared her throat, blushing deeply as her smile vanished.

“Let me up, Velvet.”

“Don’t get embarrassed,” Velvet said, snuggling into her again. “You’re a werewolf, not an emotionless rock.”

Coco groaned again, but Velvet smiled when she felt the werewolf’s body relax.

“You’re a marshmallow at heart,” the faunus told her.

“No I’m not!” Coco argued.

“Yes you are, but I won’t push the point. I’d rather keep cuddling with you than make you admit I’m right.”

“You do have to fix the mess you made though,” Coco pointed out. Velvet propped herself up slightly to look around at the damage. The couch had been knocked over, an end table was lying sideways on the floor with the items formerly on it now scattered around it, and a few decorative pillows were strewn over the kitchen floor.

“Not right now,” the faunus decided, lowering herself to cuddle Coco again. “And none of that would’ve happened if you hadn’t tried to resist, so it’s your mess too.”

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Coco asked worriedly.

“I don’t think so,” Velvet assured her.

“But I might’ve.”

“You didn’t.”

“Are you lying to me?”

“No! Coco, you didn’t hurt me,” Velvet insisted. “But if you’re that worried...just keep cuddling with me.”

Coco huffed irritably and Velvet smiled.

“That’s a yes,” she declared.

“It’s a yes,” Coco admitted with a sigh.

“You’re so cute,” Velvet teased.

“Werewolves aren’t cute.”

“Hmmm...nope. You’re cute.”

“You do realize that’s one of the weirdest things you can say in terms of society, right?”

“Yup,” Velvet acknowledged. “But since when have I let that stop me?”

“Good point,” Coco admitted. “When are you gonna clean this disaster up?”

“Mmm…tomorrow,” Velvet declared. “And you’re helping,” she added. Coco chuckled, and Velvet was content to just stay silently snuggled into her. After few minutes though, she felt Coco tense.

“Velvet, you have to get up now,” the werewolf said urgently.

“What? Why?” Velvet asked.

“The sun’s almost down. I can feel it. I don’t want you on top of me when I change,” Coco explained. Velvet sighed and stood, then pulled Coco up too.

“We’ll go to bed right after you change, okay? That way you can fall asleep right away so you won’t be scared all night.”

“Okay,” Coco agreed. “I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

Then she started to change, swiftly transforming into a large, dark brown wolf. Velvet was surprised to find herself not frightened at all, even for a single second. She tilted her head curiously at the sight of an orange splotch over her friend’s right ear and the right side of her face.

_I’ll ask her about that in the morning,_ she decided.

“You stay out here until I tell you to come in; I have to change into pajamas,” Velvet said, going to her bedroom and closing the door to change. As soon as she was dressed in pajama shorts and an oversized T-shirt, she opened the door to see Coco waiting patiently right outside it. Velvet stepped aside to let the werewolf in, then closed and locked the door behind her. The faunus slipped into her bed and looked at the space left at the foot of it, then down at Coco.

_She’ll fit._

“There’s enough room for you,” Velvet said. “Come on up.”

Coco easily jumped onto the bed and curled up at the foot of it, positioning herself so she didn’t touch Velvet.

“Oh, I’ve been saving something for you...” Velvet took a bar of chocolate from the top drawer of her nightstand. Coco shifted so she could look at Velvet.

_Thump, thump, thump._

Velvet grinned as Coco’s tail started to wag. The faunus unwrapped the candy, set the wrapper on the nightstand, and tossed the chocolate bar at the werewolf. Coco caught it in her mouth easily and Velvet sat up to teasingly scratch behind her ear.

_Thumpthumpthump!_

“You’re adorable,” the faunus noticed, lying down and turning off her lamp. “Goodnight, Coco.”

Then she closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.


	5. Breakfast and Equipment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so my writer's block is FINALLY starting to clear up. Hopefully it will continue to do so and I can get back to posting more often.  
> Anyhow, the beginning of the chapter is a reference and tribute to the theme of Coco being highly inept regarding preparing food in the kitchen that is often present in fanart by sketchhungry on Tumblr. Again, this story was inspired by her werewolf AU, and I do seek and value her advice on various bits of detail and information in this story. Also, if you haven't already, please check out her art; she's very talented and her Crosshares fanart is ADORABLE.

When Coco opened her eyes, she could tell that the sun had come up. She jumped off of the bed and reverted to her humanoid form, then went to her room to change her clothes before heading out to the kitchen. She had _somewhat_ of an understanding of how to use the equipment, but she wasn’t confident in her ability at all.

_Still...I should at least_ try _to make her breakfast as a thank-you for last night. I just hope I don’t burn the kitchen down._

She managed to make pancakes and scrambled eggs, albeit with many casualties: multiple quickly extinguished fires, plus half of a small trashcan full of failed attempts that had been too scorched or otherwise erroneous to be edible. (Fortunately, Velvet had an extremely well-stocked kitchen.)

Coco was honestly pretty proud of her overall achievement. Velvet came out just as she was putting her successful attempts on two plates. Coco turned and the faunus raised an eyebrow at her.

“You made breakfast?”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t hear the smoke detector go off.”

“Well I didn’t set anything on fire for long enough to trigger it, so...”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Velvet walked over and looked into the trashcan, then met Coco’s eyes with a teasing expression. “But it looks like I’ll have to make a run to the grocery store soon.”

“Yeah yeah...just eat your food,” Coco grumbled.

“What’s the occasion?” Velvet asked, taking her plate after pouring herself a glass of orange juice and taking a bottle of maple syrup from the fridge.

“It’s a thank-you for last night.”

“Which part? The cuddling on the floor or the letting you sleep on my bed with me for the full moon?”

“Both,” Coco admitted, blushing faintly.

“Aha, so you _do_ like to cuddle!” Velvet declared with a grin, setting her breakfast on the table and taking her seat before adding a light drizzling of maple syrup to her pancakes.

“Oh shut up,” Coco retorted, setting her own food and a glass of milk across the table from the faunus before sitting down. Velvet passed her the maple syrup and she poured significantly more of it on her pancakes than the faunus had, then put the cap back on the bottle. “How’s the food?” she asked as Velvet started to eat. The werewolf shifted nervously as she waited for a response.

“It’s pretty good, Coco. It clearly took a while for you to get it right, but eventually you did.”

“So, with what we’re actually eating…I didn’t fail?”

“Nope! You certainly failed a lot before making this,” Velvet said, chuckling slightly, “but what we’re eating now is fine.”

“Good.” She tried her own food and was relieved to find that yes, it tasted perfectly alright. “But to be honest, I think this was a fluke...I doubt I can do it again,” she admitted.

“Then let me do all the cooking,” Velvet suggested with an amused smile. “I like doing it anyhow.”

“That’s fine with me,” Coco agreed.

There was a pause.

“Coco, I have a question...” Velvet said.

“Yeah?”

“In your wolf form, your right ear is orange. But when you’re in this form it’s dark brown. Why?”

“Good question. I actually don’t know. It’s a weird marking anyhow, and I stand out against all the other werewolves for it. Maybe it’s a built-in self-defense thing? Disguising myself as a wolf faunus with an orange ear wouldn’t work too well. Faunus typically don’t have that kind of thing, so people would suspect me as a werewolf instantly. Part of my hair is orange, clearly, but not that ear. People assume I dye my hair, so that doesn’t raise any questions.”

“That makes sense,” Velvet noted. Her lips parted for a split second before being clamped shut as a faint blush touched her face. Coco raised a curious eyebrow.

“What’s on your mind?” she asked.

“What? Nothing!”

“Come on, what were you about to say?”

“No, really, I wasn’t—”

“Oh yes you were.”

Velvet’s blush deepened and she suddenly took a very keen interest in her plate.

“So it’s embarrassing,” Coco declared with a smirk. “And it’s safe to assume it’s something about me...”

“Stop fishing, Coco. I’m not gonna tell you,” Velvet told her, meeting her eyes.

“Oh fine, fine. I’ll let it go. As long as you don’t make me put the living room back in order,” Coco replied, casting a brief glance at the disarray from the cuddling fiasco.

“Deal. And after I do that, I’m checking your stitches again, just to make sure they weren’t torn apart when you changed forms last night,” Velvet told her.

“Okay,” Coco agreed. She wanted to toss in a suggestive comment but bit her tongue; she did _not_ want Velvet to smack her again, because the faunus definitely wasn’t a weakling in her capacity to cause pain with a reproachful strike.

Once breakfast was eaten, Velvet put the dishes in the dishwasher while Coco went to her room and took off her outer clothes before lying on the bed and patiently waiting for the faunus to come in and inspect her stitches.

“I underestimated how fast you’re healing, Coco,” Velvet said with a smile when she was finished with her examination. “It should be safe to take out your stitches now.”

“Please do,” Coco requested. Velvet chuckled at her eagerness.

“It won’t take long,” she promised. Sure enough, it only took a few minutes, plus one harsh smack on the shoulder when a quick innuendo slipped out of Coco’s mouth.

“That feels better,” Coco sighed with a smile as Velvet removed the last of her stitches. The werewolf stood and stretched, delighted.

“Mmhm,” Velvet replied, throwing the surgical thread in the trashcan. “But, uh...you shouldn’t leave yet. You need to get your strength up.”

Coco raised an eyebrow at the faunus, who dodged her gaze and ducked her head to stare at the floor.

“Velvet, are you just making up an excuse to keep me here?” Coco asked teasingly. Velvet’s face turned vibrantly red as her head snapped up so she could meet Coco’s eyes with her own wide ones.

“No! No, I just...I’m worried about you,” she swiftly denied.

“I know. I was just teasing you.”

“Y-yeah...right. Of course,” Velvet said softly.

“Are you okay?” Coco frowned.

“I’m fine.”

“I don’t believe you, but I’ll let it go.”

“Thank you,” Velvet sighed with clear relief.

“No problem. Just remember you can talk to me about anything, okay? I won’t judge you, and who could I tell?”

“I know,” Velvet assured her, but her eyes revealed that she didn’t actually believe it. Coco averted her own eyes.

_Why doesn’t she trust me?_  

* * *

 

Velvet wasn’t blind, nor was she an idiot. She could tell that Coco was hurting, and she knew she was the cause. Coco believed Velvet didn’t trust her.

_But I_ do _trust you!_ Velvet bit her lip before the words could escape. _I trust you, Coco..._

The faunus sighed slightly.

_I just don’t want you to know._

“So, I uh...I have a couple new magazines for you,” Velvet changed the subject.

“Really?” Coco instantly met her eyes, her posture now fully alert.

“Yup! And I warned my checkbook about the upcoming damage too,” the faunus teased. “Try to leave me with enough to pay the bills, okay?”

“Oh ha ha,” Coco huffed, rolling her eyes with a smile tugging at her lips.

“You know I’m right.”

“You shouldn’t have even given me that first one,” Coco said. “I can’t get enough of them now.”

“Mmhm. You’re the most fashionable werewolf to ever exist,” Velvet told her firmly. Coco chuckled, and Velvet stifled giggles as she noticed the werewolf’s tail wagging.

_That’s just as cute now as it was the first time._

“One of these days I’m gonna teach you how to sew; I don’t always have time to drop everything and make an allowance for your tail in something you wanted me to get from local stores.”

“Alright,” Coco agreed, her expression slightly sheepish.

“Which reminds me, I need to add buttons to my shopping list,” the faunus declared. Altering Coco’s clothes meant cutting a U-shaped gap in the back of all of her pants, sewing around the edges to keep them from tearing or unraveling, cutting  a fairly long strip from the fabric of the cutout, making a buttonhole in the strip, sewing the solid side of the strip to one side of the top of the gap, and putting a button on the side of the gap opposite to that strip so that the strap of fabric could close across the top while leaving a hole of the appropriate size so Coco would be comfortable while wearing her desired clothes.

“I’d give you money for everything you buy but…I kinda don’t have any,” Coco said. Velvet couldn’t help but laugh.

“It’s alright, Coco. I’m a pretty successful photographer; I have more than enough money to spoil you like that. Now get dressed; I’ll be in the living room if you need me.”

Velvet walked out of the bedroom and sat on the couch, turning on the TV and flipping through the stations until she found one that was playing a decent movie. Coco came out and sat beside her.

“Now that my stitches are out I can be a little more physically active, right?” she asked.

 “Sure. Just make sure you don’t overdo it,” Velvet told her. Coco rolled her eyes.

“I know, I know…but I do have to keep my physical fitness up,” she said.

“Huh?” Velvet frowned slightly.

“Werewolves have more natural strength and speed than humans or faunus by default. It’s biological, I guess. But we also have more urgent need to stay nice and fit in order to keep ourselves healthy; if we don’t get enough exercise for a while, we usually get sick. I just...really need something physical to do now that I’m recovering a bit more,” Coco explained.

“Oh. Umm...” Velvet frowned, thinking. “Well, I could get some exercise equipment for you and set it up in the basement. I have a friend who pretty much has a gym and a half in her house, and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind giving me some of her spare equipment. I’ll get you some workout clothes too.”

“That...that’d be really great,” Coco said with a smile. “As long as you don’t spend money on the equipment; I don’t know how much you’d use it.”

Velvet winced internally at the subject she dreaded surfacing yet again.

“Mm. I’ll go ahead and call her,” she said, dodging out of the conversation before Coco could bring up the topic explicitly. The werewolf nodded and turned her attention to the television while Velvet grabbed a phone that was within her reach, calling Nora and hoping she wouldn’t get her overly energetic voicemail.

_I’ll have to think of some excuse about why I need her to bring me some of her equipment...well, at least she usually doesn’t dig deeper about why._

“Hello!” Nora’s voice said brightly, pulling Velvet from her thoughts.

“Hi, Nora. Um, I was wondering…could I have some of your spare exercise equipment?”

“Oh yeah, sure! No problem!”

Velvet let out a soft exhale of relief.

_No excuse needed._

“Do you want to come get it, or should I bring it to you?”

“I’d rather you bring it over. And don’t try to cram more than will fit; you know how big my basement is, so you should know how much equipment you can bring.”

“You got it! I’ll help you set up too.”

“Alright. Thank you, Nora.”

“No problem! I’ll be over soon!”

Nora hung up and Velvet put her phone down.

“She’ll probably be here in an hour or two. When she does, go to your room and stay there—completely silent—until I come to the door and tell you it’s safe to come out.”

“Alright,” Coco agreed.

“You’ll know when she’s here because the volume she turns her car radio up to will make you feel like you’re in the front row of a big concert,” Velvet added.

“She sounds interesting,” Coco noticed.

“Oh she’s interesting alright. She’s a two-ton ball of electric pink energy crammed into a one hundred-pound body,” Velvet summarized with a slight smile. “I’d better go out to buy pancake mix…whenever she does some kind of housework for somebody, she always asks to be paid in pancakes. And since _someone_ used all the pancake mix I had on many attempts to cook breakfast…”

Coco’s ears went back slightly with embarrassment and her face reddened at the playful reminder of her inability to prepare food.

“I won’t be gone long,” Velvet promised. “Then I’ll be back to wait for Nora to show up.”

A grocery store run, five hours, one U-Haul, nine pieces of various-sized equipment, and payment in the form of a five-pancake stack later, Velvet sighed heavily and sank down to the couch, hearing the blaring music from Nora’s car fade into the distance. She enjoyed the company of her redheaded friend, but dealing with her insanely high amount of endless energy could be quite exhausting.

After a couple minutes of rest, Velvet went to Coco’s room and opened the door.

“Okay, she’s gone. Come downstairs and I’ll show you how everything works.”

Coco marked her page in the book she was reading and followed Velvet downstairs, clearly eager to do something active. Seeing how excited she was about it made Velvet smile, but her feelings were conflicted. Sure, Coco being happy was uplifting, but becoming more physically active meant she was that much closer to leaving Velvet’s house and, by extension, the unorthodox friendship between faunus and werewolf. That thought made Velvet’s bunny ears droop slightly.

_Whenever she leaves…I know she won’t be able to risk coming back. Once she’s gone from here, she’ll never be in my life again._


	6. Decision and Joy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, uh, WOW it's been too long since I updated. Writer's block is a bitch that needs to crawl into a hole forever. Anyhow, with no ado whatsoever, here's the next chapter. It's short but it's here. FINALLY.

Over the next few days, Coco tried her best to learn how to cook but eventually deemed herself incapable and turned all of her energy to exercising and sewing instead; she had the ability to do both of those. The kitchen, she decided, she’d leave to the person who _wasn’t_ bound to burn it down.

Velvet seemed quite thankful that the werewolf had given up her quest to master kitchen skills. Presumably, this was because of how many fires she’d had to extinguish, groceries she’d had to buy, and messes she’d had to clean. She never complained, but her exasperation with her werewolf roommate had been practically tangible.

“So what’s for breakfast?” Coco asked, walking into the kitchen. Velvet, who was putting something in the dishwasher, turned and gave her a disapproving look.

“It’s almost noon. I already ate breakfast; make do with cereal,” she replied.

“Oh come on!” Coco complained, staring at her pleadingly. “Please?”

“No. Making puppy eyes at me won’t help. I bought a box of chocolate cereal for you, so eat that,” Velvet told her firmly. Coco couldn’t help but perk up at the word “chocolate” and immediately gave up her quest to convince Velvet to make her something to eat.

“Where is it?” she asked. Velvet smiled and pointed at a cabinet, then closed the dishwasher and walked out of the kitchen. Coco spotted the cereal and took the box, then got out a large bowl and filled two-thirds of it with cereal before adding milk until it was full to the brim. She couldn’t get a spoon fast enough and heard a chuckle. The werewolf turned in its direction to see Velvet leaning against the doorway from the living room, watching her.

“Are you that hungry, or do you just want chocolate?” she teased.

“Both,” Coco admitted. Velvet shook her head, smiling.

“Then enjoy your meal,” she said before going back to the living room and sitting on the couch. Coco heard the TV turn on but ignored the sound in favor of her breakfast. After her second bowl, she sighed slightly with reluctance at the conversation she needed to have with Velvet.

_It’s time. I have to tell her. I can’t put it off._

When she put her bowl in the dishwasher, she went to the living room and cleared her throat. Velvet looked up and frowned slightly.

“What’s wrong? You look…odd,” the faunus said, getting up and walking over to her. “Are you feeling okay?”

Coco took a deep breath.

“I think I’m all healed up,” she announced. “Time for me to head out, I guess.”

“Oh...y-yeah,” Velvet said softly, her expression turning sad. She quickly stared at the floor but Coco had already seen the sorrow. Concerned, she rested a hand under Velvet’s chin to gently nudge her head up.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing. I’m fine,” Velvet replied, clearly trying but failing to rid her expression of sadness.

“Liar,” Coco accused with a slight smile. “C’mon, just tell me.”

Velvet sighed, her face taking on a reddish tint.

“I...I just...I kinda...was hoping you’d stay,” she admitted hesitantly. “I like having you here. I don’t want you to leave...”

Coco was stunned. Her eyes widened and she took her hand from Velvet’s chin. The faunus turned her face away, but not fast enough to hide the tears in her eyes.

_She...wants me to stay? I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t miss her and I know she’ll miss me, but...I never thought she’d want me to...is she really saying she wants me to move in with her? Permanently?_

“Velvet...I...”

“No, it’s fine. Just...just forget I said anything, okay? I know you want to leave, and...and that’s okay.” The faunus gave a slight sniff. “I’m sorry...”

Coco thought about that. She could tell that her friend was being consumed by shame, guilt, and misery. The werewolf considered and soon came to a decision.

“Vel, you...you want me to live with you, permanently? Do I have that right?”

“Yeah,” Velvet sighed. “I really, really want you to live with me. But I know you don’t want to, so...I’m not gonna make you stay. Just...go ahead and leave, okay?”

Coco took a deep breath, now knowing exactly what she wanted to do.

“No,” she said firmly. “I’m not leaving. I want to stay with you too.”

* * *

Velvet’s head snapped around, her eyes widening. She stared at Coco in shock and the werewolf smiled at her.

“Coco...you...you really...you want to stay?” she asked, not daring to believe what she was hearing.

“Yeah, I do. It’s nice to live in a real home, and I don’t want to leave. Besides...if I walk out, I don’t know if I’d ever see you again.”

Velvet blushed violently, but she felt a slow grin spread across her face. She lunged forward to tackle Coco in a hug, laughing into her shoulder. Coco held her closer and the faunus snuggled into her a little more.

“You’re a cutie,” Coco informed her. “You know that, right?”

“You’ve mentioned it,” Velvet replied. She pulled back a bit so she could lean to the side, her grin widening when she saw that Coco’s tail was wagging.

“Stop that!” Coco scolded. “My tail doesn’t wag for your amusement.”

“Nope. But it’s too cute for me to not look,” the faunus retorted, stepping back to meet her friend’s eyes.

Coco heaved an exaggerated sigh that made Velvet laugh.

“Drama queen,” the faunus teased. Coco huffed.

“I hope you get tired of doing that soon.”

“Mm...nope, not gonna happen!” Velvet told her cheerfully. “Not soon, and not ever.”

Coco groaned and gave her a look, but the faunus was unaffected and just beamed at her. Coco rolled her eyes as her face reddened, earning a bright smile from Velvet.

“You’re adorable when you’re embarrassed,” she declared.

“You’re calling me, a werewolf, adorable,” Coco noticed flatly. “Do you have a death wish?”

“What? Are you threatening to eat me or something?” Velvet poked Coco’s collarbone playfully. The werewolf growled.

“Wanna find out?”

Had this been within the first week or so she had known Coco, Velvet would have taken the growl seriously and backed off. But now, even though Coco’s ears were back and her shoulders were squared, she knew better. She could see the playful spark revealing that the werewolf’s thoughts were in no way even the slightest bit malicious.

“Go ahead,” the faunus goaded. Coco growled again, then wrapped both arms around her hips and effortlessly picked her up. Velvet squealed and grabbed Coco’s shoulders to stabilize herself, feeling the werewolf’s body shake with laughter.

“You asked for it,” Coco reminded her. Velvet struggled for her freedom and Coco buried her face in the side of her neck. “You’d better hold still...” she said threateningly, her voice muffled. “I’ve been known to bite.”

“You wouldn’t!” Velvet accused, then let out a sharp squeal when she felt Coco’s teeth gently nip her skin.

“Werewolves don’t bluff,” she informed the faunus. Velvet couldn’t help but burst into wild giggles when the werewolf bit her again.

She knew Coco could hurt her without even trying. She’d seen her friend’s teeth thoughtlessly pierce a water bottle on more than one occasion. The reason the faunus was blushing and giggling like a maniac was because she was fully aware of how conscious Coco was of her safety, her careful control ensuring she wouldn’t hurt Velvet at all.

_She’s such a big softie,_ Velvet noticed. _And she’s so playful too...just like a puppy._

Velvet impulsively brought one hand up to gently run her thumb over the soft fur on the back of one of Coco’s wolf ears. It flicked at the contact, and Coco released a faint sound of surprise. Velvet opened her mouth to apologize, but closed it and smiled when she saw Coco’s tail giving away that she wasn’t upset in the least.

“I’m glad you’re staying,” Velvet said softly. Coco chuckled and let her stand, her dark chocolate eyes meeting the faunus’s gaze.

“I am too,” she admitted. Velvet smiled and pulled her friend into a hug.

“Thank you, Coco,” she told her. “Just…thank you.” She felt Coco’s body shake in a chuckle as she returned the embrace.

“No problem. After all, how else am I supposed to get chocolate?” she teased. Velvet stepped back and smacked her arm.

“Oh shut up!” she scolded, but couldn’t stop smiling.

_She’s really here to stay._


End file.
